Playing With Fire
by It'sTimeToDance
Summary: When Max is captured by The School, new powers are discovered. up for adoption.
1. How I Disapear

A/N Welp, I'm kinda getting bored with Harry Potter, so I thought I'd re-new my interest in those darn silly winged genetically engineered kids.

(Oh, and my friend Amy is helping me cause she's ANNOYING!!)

Again, the whole torture th main charactor thing is really my shtick, as you probably noticed by now. :)

I awoke with a start, feeling a sharp jolt of electricity shoot through my arm, leaving a lingering sting. My eye lids fealt heavy, maybe even swollen. My whole face fealt swollen, actually, heavy and thick, like I had caked on glue stuck on my head. I fealt somewhat feverish, cold sweat sling down my burning cheek. I curled my unusually numb fingers into a weak fist instinctivly, a pained gasp escaping my swollen lip. I fealt like I had gone to war and back, without any idea how I had gone from sitting in a damp cave with my flock, dining on a fine feast of over-ripe oranges and charred old burgers we had found in some dumpster behind a Target, to looking face to face with...

The guy had silver, wispy, almost translucent hair, combed over a bald spot in the middle of his shiny, liver spotted head. His skin was thin and saggy, his eyes sunk in and shadowed by his bushy gray eyebrows that seemed to plaig every man over sixty. His eyes were cold, harsh, though somehow excited, the eager look of a child on Christmas.

He was blurred, the sides of his face fuzzy, blending in with the sterile white of the backround.

"And zis," said the man, standing upright, the voice hitting me like a ton of bricks, "iz one of our most succesful hybrids, though, as you can zee, has out lived it's purpose. Extremly flawed, noting special about it at all."

The reasonable part of me was ordering me to just be quiet and figure out what happened, but of course, if I listened to that part of me, I just wouldn't be the delightful little bugger that I am.

"What, the wings don't do it for you?" I retorted, surprised at how hoarse and groggy my voice was.

Ter Borcht snapped his head to me, the sparkle of hatred glinting in his eye, "You vill be _silent."_

"You vill be _ugly_" I retorted. Ter Borcht ignored me and turned back to what I assumed were eager buyers, all white-coated and a look of pure fasination on each one of their faces.

"She is, however, quit useful for weapon purposes. She could fly higher then any air craft, and carry four-fifths it's own weight for limited time, three-fifths almost indeffinetly. We are currently testing to determine her immune system, and healing rate."

One of the asian wight-coats raised her hand. She had soft black hair falling out of the loose, tangled bun. Much different from the sharp, clean appearence of the rest, "Could we ask it questions?"

Ter Bortcht looked taken abake by the question, "You could try, but I doubt you vill get anyzing from it." he shot me glare.

The white coat stepped forward, pen in hand, looking at me eagery, "Hello."

I raised an eyebrow, trying not to look as out of it as I fealt.

"I'm going to ask you some questions, okay?" she asked, a sickly sweet smile plastered on her face, never reaching her eyes.

I said nothing.

"You have a name, yes?"

"Seven, nine, eight, two, ten, two, two, one, six. Junior."

She gaped at me, turning to ter Borcht, who had his jaw clenched, a fat blue veing popping from his head, "This is pointless, any questions you have can be answered by me, you do not have to waste your time with this _failure_" he hissed. And with that, he led the dumfounded herd out a metal door, the click of the lock echoing through the new silence.

Okay Max, I thought to myself, Just calm down and try to figure out where you. Ha, that was a stupid question. No doubt that I was in the school. The antiseptic smell and the chain around my ankle gave that away. But hwo had I gotten here?

IK fealt like there was a huge chunk of my memory missing. I had no recolecction of any possible way how I could have gotten anywhere near this place. And what about the flock? Were they okay? Were they _alive?_

"Max?"

I whipped my head around, gasping as my stiff neck made a cracking sound, sending a wave of nasea through me.

"Max are you okay?" asked the sweet little voice, the voice I had grown to love.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you okay?" I asked Angel. To be honest, she looked fine. Her face was paled slightly, probably from fear, and her sparkling blue eyes where wide, but overall she looked ten times better then I fealt.

"I'm fine. Max, what happened? I was just playing with Total and then I wake up and there's a guy giving you shots and everybody else is gone! What's going on?" she was on the brink o hysterics, tears falling down her rosy cheeks.

"Shh, it's okay sweetie, everythings okay." I said, more for myself then her, "Angel, did you see what they were thinking?"

Angel was quiet for a second, "They...they were excited, cause they wanted to run test on you. I don't know what some of them meant. They wanted to see how you react to all this stuff, like diseases and hormones, and wanted to get the others, to see what would happen if..." she trailed off.

"If what?" I pressed, painfully sliding closer to her.

She looked scared, "I--"

The door whipped open, revealing three white-coats, five Erasers trailing behind, guns in hand. The white-coats had clipboards and syringes in hand, looking nervously behind them at the Erasers.

One squatted down in front of me without a word, scribbling on his clipboard like mad.

I looked at Angel warily, surprised to see her eyes wide and fearful, her darting from the white coat to me frantically.

_What is it sweetie? _I thought to her.

Just then, the white coat grabbed me roughly by the arm, holding it just tight enough to make me hiss in pain.

"Swollen, bruised, write that down." he said to his friend, pulling my arm forward so my elbow was closer to him. He reached into his pocket, taking out a leaking syringe.

"No!" Angel shrieked, crawling forward as far as her short chain would allow. A brief moment of panic swept me, wondering what the white coats were thinking. One of the Erasers gorwled and stepped forward, taking a meaty claw and grabbing her tiny arm.

"Get off her!" I hissed, struggling against the suprisingly strong hold of the lanky white coat.

I gasped as I fealt a sudden sharp prick on my arm. I whipped my head forward to see the needle sunk in my arm, the white coat pressing the top farther down, injecting whatever was in it into my bloodstream. A sharp pang of an intense, mind numbing pain swept through my body. I cried out, arching my back and digging my fingers into the hard steel floor.

The white-coats were talking now, though it sounded faded and distant, a hundred miles away. I knew Angel was crying, and all I wanted to do was tell her it would be alright. But I knew that would be pointless, because I knew it probably wouldn't, and I knew she would know.

I screamed as I fealt the cold hands grab my burning arms, sqeezing them and turning it over, examining it. I heard one say, "Let's see the bone density now..." and a crack. It took me a minute to figure out it was coming from _me. _

I yelped as a jolt of pain shot from my swollen arm. I tried to pull it away, screaming in agony.

"Low tolerence for pain, thin, almost brittle bones."

"It's probably weakened by the EgHs (A/N Made up thing, sounded sciency), for God's sake, give her a tranqulizer. I want to test her heart rate tomarrow."

"What about the subject eleven?"

"Leave her, we already have all we need to know."

I fealt a stinging sensation on my shoulder, and a strange ease fell over me. The pain hadn't left, of course. That would be way too easy, I just lost all energy too scream, growing numb in some parts. The last thing I saw was a brown blur of brown and white.

MMRMRMRMRMR

**Sigh, I was really debating whether to post this, seeing as I mihgt not even continue, but I just thought that this would be something I might like to read on fanfiction, so you might too. Gosh darnit I'm bored and having stupid boyfriend troubles.**

**He laughed at me when I tripped!! Come one, people! **

**Update on that later...**


	2. Torture

A/N Mkay, having some writers block with Harry Potter fic, so I thought I'd work on this a little to get my juices flowing. p.s. anything written in **bold **amy did, (dont you just love copy and paste)

Mkay, we just gonna skip ahead to when Max wakes up in a dog crate, with Angel. She was just experimented on and all that bad stuff, so she's really sick and weak and junk. Yay! I left my mind at Taco Bell...)

I fealt coherincy (sp?) creep up on me like a wave, the silence of the room deafening me. I fealt the bitter cold of the vents stinging my arms. The bars of my extra small cage dig into my soar back, my hair sticking to my feverish head. I heard an insecent little voice scream in my head;

_MAX? MAX! ANSWER! WAKE UP! MAX!_

I winced and turned my head slowly to see Angels round, pleading blue eyes gazing at me through the metal bars of her dog crate. "Angel..." I moaned hoarsly.

She made a 'shh' gesture with her finger, pointing forward. I let my eyes linger to the direction, seeing what I guessed were a bunch of whitecoats surrouding a table with vials and beakers covering it, having some sort of heated argument;

"We can't just throw her into it! We have to wait until we get her test results!"

"But I want to test her indurence level while in high stress situations..."

"She won't have any indurence level if she's dead!"

The arguement dimmed into an incessent buzz, ringing through the room in near echoes.

_What are they talking about? _Max thought at Angel.

_They wanna run test on you, like the maze and stuff. And they wanna test the rest of the flock, but they're worried if they put us together, we'll try to escape, so they're going to make you really sick so that we can't._

I groaned inwardly. _Why aren't they making the rest sick?_

_I don't know. They think that 'cause your the leader the rest of the Flock won't know what to do without you._

I guessed Fang could take care of the Flock if I was...out of commission. He was good with the kids, he knew what he was doing most of the time. He was capable. Even if I couldn't get out, they could.

I nodded. I tried to shift so I could face her, but almost yelped in pain, biting my lip so hard I felt blood trickle down my chin.

_What the..._

_I think they put something in you. A bunch of stuff, they kept on giving you shots, then they took you into another. You were screaming really loud, and I couldn't get in your mind, and I didn't know what they were doing, and-- _Thought Angel rapidly. I could see tears well in her eyes, falling down her rosy cheeks.

_It's okay, _I thought at her in an attempt to calm her down, _I'm fine, just a little scratched up. Everything's okay, we're going to get out of here soon, I promise._

The quietest moan escaped my lips as a burning shot of pain stabbed by ribs. My knuckles clenched, white with exsursion. My face twisted slightly with each jab, my teeth savagly breaking the skin of my lower lip.

_Breath In._

_Breath out._

I clenched my hands to my temples, tried to lose myself in the safety of fighting tactics and flying techniques, of logic. Not that logic has ever really been on my side. You know. Six children having wings, wasn't exactly something strait out of someone's phisics text book. And, albeit, the fact that I haven't been blown to bits isn't exactly rational. And all the minor things, like having a six year old mind reader and a talking dog and not being fully human. Little things like that made you grasp the littlest, logical thing that came to mind, something solid to hold on to, ground to walk on.

We were lucky, not logical.

But logic's all I have left now. The pain had to end sometime. It always ended sometime. Whether I died, or it just stopped, it had to end. I gritted my teeth. The blaze of fire had reached my shoulders. I half expected my skin to fall away in a layer of ash and blackened flesh. I was a hotdog on a grill. Fried Max. Max-on-a-stick. Max-dog, Avian steak.

_Breathe in._

_Breathe out._

If only the Flock could see me now. Where flying manuevers had once been second nature, remembering to breathe was now a difficulty. Actually, _not_ breathing just might have been a pleasant distraction. Who needs breathing? Slumped in an undignified heap against the steel bars, I clenched my fists tightly together. I tried to open my eyes, but they were forced shut again as another flare of fire burst through me, radiating from the spot where one of the whitecoats plunged the needle into my arm.

The School had been my waking nightmare. For almost ten years I'd been there. I'd been forced to run laps until I passed out. Starved and kept in cages meant only for wild animals. Trapped in mazes for hours until the I had found the exit. Stabbed by syringes and scalpel knives. Mauled by Erasers to test my pain resistance and fighting abilities. Prodded by psychologists until my mind snapped and had to be sedated. Of course, since I was the oldest, I had to endure the most, a roll which I gladly took. Anything to protect my Flock, the only family I had ever known. I had without a second thought pretended I was the one who had broke the vials of the precious chemicals, saving Gazzy an extra session with the Erasers. I had gladly said I wwas the one who mugged the whitcoat who tried to give Angel a shot, saving Fang a meal.

But never had I been tortured like this. Never had there been a time where my body was being roasted atop a fire.

But I didn't back down then, and I wouldn't now. I'd only ever surrender for one person, and even though he'd never let me live it down, if I had to let go of my pride to save him…I would.

_Breathe in._

_Breathe out._

Angel, who I had barely regestered had been there, was desperatly sending me thoughts, which I bounced out each time. I did not need any more voices in my head, even if it was Angel's. I consentrated on breathing, a motion that had once been second nature, now became an excersise, and game. A game I had no energy to play.

The darkness swallowed me up, and I welcomed it. I'd been there before. Many times.

Darkness has always been a better friend to me than the light has ever been, or ever will be.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

A/N okay, sorry that was a tad pointless, more stuff gonna happen really soon, I promise. Fang and everybody are gonna start looking for Max and Angel.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

D. and A.


	3. Running

I was in absolute agony

I was in absolute agony. I don't know how else to describe it.

The bell clanged and a rough pair of hands pushed me forward, making me stumble. My thoughts weren't very coherent, all mixed together in un decisive swirls. I only knew that I had to run, because when I didn't run, that meant pain, and I couldn't take much more pain.

I knew it was some sort of maze, in some sort of gym in the main building of the school that I had to run in, to find the exit. I remember Angel telling me she had to run a maze, too, when she was here.

I could feel her sending me thoughts, from wherever she was, but I ignored them. No way could I figure out any more thoughts then my own.

I urged my swollen legs forward, despite the screaming protest. I swerved blindly through the corners, looking for that big red sign.

Finally, the exit came into view. I pulled all of my energy, which trust me, wasn't much, and sped through the door, collapsing on the cold mat.

I saw a bunch of whitecoats fuss around me, taking my wrist, writing on clipboards, prodding me with their fingers.

Everything hurt, in the worst way imaginable. My legs were swollen from god knows what, my arms where covered in bruises from my little sessions with the Erasers, I was sweating feverishly, and I think my arm was broken.

I really wanted to cry.

I hated to admit it, but I just wanted to crawl in a corner and cry my freaking eyes out for the rest of my hopefully short life. I just wanted to stop being the brave one , stop being everyone's shoulder, stop being the rock.

I fealt a rough hand pick me up by the scruff of the neck. He turned my head so he could look at me. He looked like mid thirtys, his face cold and harsh, examining me like I was a lab rat. Maybe I was.

His meaty hand grabbed me by the hair and ranked my head back, his fingers at tracking my chin.

"It bruises too easily." He spat, turning his head, "And it's indurence is nothing like the director goes on about. It's immune system is fatally flawed, It's bones are to thin, it took it ten minutes to finish a simple maze. It is a complete failure.

"You shouldn't have mixed so many viruses." Said a calm, maybe even warm voice.

"It doesn't matter, she is worthless. At least the little one could finish the maze in a decent time. As soon as we find the others--"

I don't know why, but suddenly my blood started to boil in anger. Maybe it was the way he was talking about me like I was a rat, or maybe it was because he was taking out a needle from his pocket, but I just got really angry.

I sucked in a breath and spat in his face, noticing with slight discomfort that it was tinged with blood.

"Ahh!" the whitecoat cried, dropping the needle and wiping his face with the back of his sleeve. He looked at me sharply, pulled back his hand and slapped me across the face, so hard I saw stars. My head snapped to the side, gasping in surprise.

"Don't damage it!" cried a whitecoat.

"It is already damaged beyond repair…" was all I heard before everything went black.

A/N ehh, sorry that was really short, but I'm on my mom's computer and it's making weird noises….

Longer chapters next time!!


	4. Poison

A light breeze shot at me through the vents I was oh-so conveniently propped next to, hitting my skin like thousands of needles

A light breeze shot at me through the vents I was oh-so conveniently propped next to, hitting my skin like thousands of needles. I shivered violently, the chattering of my teeth the only sound to be heard.

I shut my eyes, fighting the tears that threatened to escape, biting my lip to hold back a whimper. I would _not _let these pathetic whitecoats know they were causing me pain. I would _not _be some damsel in distress who couldn't take a little pain. I'm stronger then that. I can handle it.

For now, anyway.

I could vaguely hear the whitecoats hovering over me, scribbling on their little clipboards, analyzing me like I was a lab rat;

"Skin frailer, no elasticity. Eyes glazed over. Taken a bluish tint. No visible reaction to the heart beat, though."

"The immune systems nothing like we hoped for."

"Her time at the maze was only a third of the little one."

"Perhaps it's the indurence level…"

"It's older, it's indurence level should be double that of the small one."

"What do you suggest?"

"Give it some growth hormones, and wait a day until it recovers from the poisons before we test it again."

"Should we mix the recombined chemicals?"

"No, it would make the bones to heavy to fly."

"The feathers have gotten weak, look, there scattered all over the place."

"Check the current bone density."

I felt a pair of cold, rough hands shoot out of no where and grab my good arm and, once again, a crack echoed through the room, though my brain barely registered any pain. It just mingled with the constant throbbing throughout the rest of my body, barely distinguishable from the rest.

"Weaker then before. We might have to dissect the arm."

"Are you sure? Shouldn't we just wait until the hydroids wear off?"

"No, there's no time. I want to get her to the field as soon as possible."

What they were talking about, I had no idea.

Poison. That would explain it. Hydroids, whatever those were, were making me weak. Hormones, they wanted me to grow, or get stronger, or whatever. It all sounded painful to me.

The same pair of hands grabbed me by the shoulder and dragged me from the small cage. It felt good to stretch my legs to their full extent, even if I was being dragged.

"Seventy pounds. How much did it weight when it came in?"

"Just barely ninety. When was the last time it was fed?"

"Not since it came in. The first few days we tried giving it bread, but it wouldn't eat it."

They _fed _me, and I didn't know about it? I've been sitting here starving half top death and I had food right in front of me??

Good going, Max.

"Wait," said a familiar voice, a voice I had grown to despise with a passion, "I'll take it to surgery, you prepare the growth hormones. It will be injected immediately after the dissection."

A pause, "Alright, make sure the muscle mass is thoroughly documented, I want no mistakes with this one."

The arms dragging me were replaced with gentle, warm hands, carrying me like they actually gave a rats butt about me.

I dared to open my eyes, seeing the blurry face a Jeb Batchelder, the ceiling moving past him.

I bounced painfully with every step he took, slamming my eyes shut.

"I know, Max. I know it hurts, just wait a little longer." He muttered to me, so softly only my advanced hearing could make it out.

"Yeah, sure." I said with every ounce of sarcasm I had.


	5. There Coming

I found myself in a sterile white room, the shine of the fluorescent lights burning through my eyelids which, to be honest, I really don't remember closing

I found myself in a sterile white room, the shine of the fluorescent lights burning through my eyelids which, to be honest, I really don't remember closing. I remembered I was at the School (Whoopie!) and Jeb had "saved" me from having my arm sliced open. I whipped my eyes open, only to see a light beyond comparison burn my retinas, making me shut them again.

I had a killer headache, which wasn't as bad as a brain attack, but just at that fine point where you think a sweaty construction worker is drilling a jack hammer through your skull. Lovely.

My arms felt….heavy, for lack of a better word. They didn't hurt, they just kind of felt...weighed down, like my blood was replaced with lead. I tried wiggling my fingers on each arm, only accomplishing a slight twitch. I tried lifting it, but it slammed back on the table I was lying on with a _thunk_.

Thunk? Should arms make thunks?

I turned my tired head slowly to the side, away from the burning light. Then, very, very slowly, I dare open my eyes. I could still feel the light from the corner of my eye, but it wasn't bright enough to make me scream in pain. I open them a little wider to see my arm, thick and grainy and….blue?

Wait, that wasn't right.

I opened my eyes wider and saw I had a dull blue, almost dirty cast covering my entire lower arm. I rolled my head to the other side to see the same for my left arm.

Where's Angel, I though, and Fang?

"There safe."

I gasped in surprise and, out of reflex, jumped a little. Bad move. My whole body ached, not just a little annoying ache that you get after exercising to long, I mean it _stung_. My back felt like it was ripped apart and sewn back together with a rusty needle. My joints were on fire, spreading to any surrounding area they could get to. Despite my best efforts, an unfortunate moan escaped my lips.

"Try not to move, save your energy, you have a session with the Erasers in an hour. Sorry, I couldn't do anything about that." said Jeb, looming over me and smiling like he used to, that smile that always got me.

I had a sarcastic remark on the tip of my tongue, but for some reason it never made it out. My throat felt raw and dry, my tongue swollen and rough. All I could manage was a weak, "Gee, thanks." And even that came out as a pathetic cough, ringing my ears and leaving a dull pain in my lungs.

Jeb, seemingly oblivious to my sarcasm, just chuckled and strode over to a table beside whatever I was sitting in. My eyes followed him, noticing an ugly orange and brown knit blanket covering me from the stomach down. After fidgeting my head a little, I guessed there was some sort of pillow under my head. Gosh, they sure know how to treat a lady.

I looked back to Jeb, who was now tapping his forefinger to a small syringe, little droplets of God-knows-what squirting to the side.

Part of me wanted to rip off the strait out of nanny's knitting needles blanket and get the heck out of there, and the other half…pretty much wanted the same thing. You better believe I would have if I had any control whatsoever of my body, but all I got was a weird twitching thing.

"So, how are you feeling?" Jeb asked, in a way I expected a father to say to their sick kid. Well, I guess that's not the best analogy.

"Peachy." I replied dryly, eyes never leaving the leaking needle.

"I'm sorry they did all that to you, I really am. If I had known--"

"You would have what?" I interrupted, "Given me this cute little blanket and an extra piece of bread for dinner?"

"Max," he said calmly, "I know it's hard to understand, but it's all part of--"

"The bigger picture, yeah, yeah, I've heard it."

He sighed sadly and approached the bed-thing tenderly, the needle lowered.

"Whoa, keep that away from me." I warned, hoping, even with my extremely dry throat, I sounded somewhat threatening.

"It's nothing like that, Max, It's just to relieve the pain so you can make it through the training until the Flock--"

"What about the Flock? Where are they? Where's Angel?" I asked hurriedly. A line of dry coughs followed, making my chest heave up and down painfully.

"Angel's fine, I've convinced them she requires no training or experimentation, and the Flock are on their way." He answered patiently.

"How would you know that?" I asked, mentally sighing in relief.

Jeb chuckled, "That blog of Fang's. He's hunting like a madman for you."

"What do you --"

I was interrupted by a loud clanging noise, like a school bell from 80's sitcoms.

Jeb looked ahead, a brief look of regret flashing across his face, "I'm sorry, I have to get you to the training ground. It's time."

**Fang's Blog.**

**Subject: HELP!!**

**Date: Who cares!**

**Visitor number: Still broken!**

**Max and Angel are missing. How, you ask? Your guess is as good as mine. One minute there're there, the next there're not. Creepy, yes. Convenient, hell no. That means we have no possible idea what happened to them, or even if their still alive. At first, I thought they just went for a flight, or to get some food or something, but then they just didn't come back. Gazzy and Nudge are going on about alien abduction, yeah right, and Iggy's got it in his head that they abandoned us, which is, like, totally ridiculous. Max would never just **_**leave.**_** Not without some warning, or a freaking **_**note. **_**I've got numerous assumptions as to where they could be, some good, and some **_**bad.**_** I'm going to assume we were all somehow drugged and she's at the school, which, yeah, falls into the **_**bad **_**category. So we're on our way to California. I thought about going to Max's mom's house in Arizona, but why worry her? There both probably fine. Max is a fighter, she's probably giving those whitcoats a great time, and Angel probably has them doing the Soulja Boy in their underwhere right now. But still, a hysterical Flock does not make for easy travel, so if your Max or Angel, you better get your butts over here. **

**If you know where they are, please, **_**please **_**let me know. **

**Fly on,**

**Fang**


	6. Screams

"Time for what

"Time for what?" I asked, my voice, to my dismay, cracking, whether from strain or fear I wasn't sure.

Jeb sighed and looked at me with—what? Fear, regret, pity?--and said solemnly, "They want to train you, Max, and Angel, and the rest of the Flock. They want to sell you to foreign markets to use as weapons. I thought that if I could convince them you were flawed, useless, they would just…"

"What?" I snapped, "Kill us? Get us out of the way so they can keep on mixing god knows what into _kids?_"

"Max, it's not like that..." Jeb insisted. My eyes wondered to the dripping needle.

"So what is it like? Tell me, I'm really curious." I hissed, a small jolt of pain shooting in my lungs.

Jeb sighed again, looking at me, his eyes pleading with me, "Max, I promise I'm not going to let them hurt you. I'm going to get you away from here, and bring you back to the Flock. But there's nothing I can do right now, and if you don't show up on the training grounds _now, _I can assure you things won't be easy for either of us," when he saw my contradicting look, he added, "or Angel."

That made me froze. Would they really hurt Angel because of me? Would they really do something to _my _baby because I wouldn't be thrown into a pit of Erasers when I could barely _move?_

I looked back to Jeb. He looked desperate, his eyes darting from me to the blaring bell over the door. I could tell he meant it.

I sighed, "Fine." I replied, slumping against the table.

Sfjegfkdbgkjbdjgkbsdjkbgjkdbsfjkfjkdbdjskbgfsdjkbgjkbdjbgjkdbgjkdbsjkgbjksdbgjdsb

Jeb managed to crack off the cast and wrap my arms in bandages so tight I could barely bend my elbows, inject me with something like ten needles, and get me to the 'training ground' in less then ten minutes.

The 'Training ground' in question was an outdoor pit of dirt, fencing twenty feet high making a circle around us, about as big as a parking lot. There was a small building behind the fence, a large clear window in the face. I could see nine or ten whitecoats watching, scratching notes on their little clipboards, like it was some sort of experiment. Well, technically it was.

Five Erasers were wolfed up on the other side of the circle, squatting impatiently in fighting stance, eyes darting wildly from a bullhorn on a stick towering above them to me. I figured that was the little signal that would give them the o.k. to attack.

The stuff Jeb injected me with was barely working. I could move somewhat fluidly, more like a robot with some loose bolts. The pain had subsided to a dull ache, and I could generally squeeze my fist without yelping. What really worried me was that I couldn't feel my wings. I was sure they were there, because I felt the feathers brushing the back of my arm with every step I took, but It was like they were just…hanging there. Unusable. I tried stretching them, but they just laid there, stiff as cardboard, which pretty much blew every hope I had off flying off.

My stomach, by now, was pretty much trying to digest itself. I knew I had last a lot of weight, which was pretty bad because I didn't have much fat to begin with. My skin felt tight on my bones, squeezing my muscles like a brick in a small plastic bag. My face probably would have been gaunt if it wasn't swollen with bruises. The swelling had gone down in my legs, making them look like sticks with joints. I wobbled with every step I took. I had no idea how I was going to fight off five Erasers. To be honest, I probably wouldn't. Jeb was probably lying; he wasn't going to get me out of here. This was just to finish me off, break me.

I wondered if Angel was okay.

AngelAngelAngelAngelAngelAngel

Angel squatted in her cage, hugging her arms to he chest, shaking from the biting chill in the large, dark room. Unlike last time she had been in this room, though, she was alone. No other experiments, not looming whitecoats, not even the rest of the Flock. There were no thoughts anywhere near her, no voices echoed through the halls. The only sound was her uneven breathing. Every so often, she heard a drip, or a scuffle, and she would jump up and look in all directions, meeting only darkness. She didn't know how long she had been in here. The whitecoats stopped coming in, only some old lady with wild gray hair and a crooked nose would stop in and drop a few pieces of bread in front of the cage and walk out.

She wondered if Max was okay. She hadn't seen her for what seemed like years. Last time she saw her, three whitecoats came in and dragged her away. Their thoughts had been excited, thinking about all the experiments they wanted to do on her and how much money they would make. Jerks.

Angel had been thinking of a plan to get out of here. She figured next time someone opened the cage, she could run out and find Max. They could run away and find the rest of the Flock. But what if Max couldn't fly? What if they did something horrible to her, like cut off her wings? What if she was dead?

No, Max wasn't dead. She's Max. She'd never let herself be killed by a bunch of whitecoats. She was probably giving them heck. In fact, she probably escaped and was coming for her right now. The Flock was probably coming to. Everything would be fine. Maybe, since they were in California, Max could take everyone to Disneyland once they were out.

Angel was interrupted from her thoughts by a sudden light, piercing the darkness that surrounded her. She squinted as she looked up, seeing the old lady at the door, looking distastefully at her.

_Stupid brat, I don't see why they feed her at all. Just gonna kill her any ways. Like I got nothing better to do…_

Angel fixed her face into a hard expression, looking at the lady with disgust. She situated herself so she was on her toes, so she could bolt out of the cage as soon as she opened the hatch.

The lady stomped forward and bent down slightly, her frail, crooked hand reaching for the door.

As soon as Angel heard the click of the door opening, she leaped forward, tackling the lady to the ground. She heard her curse as she ran out the door into the hallway.

Serves her right.

Now to find Max.

MaxMaxMax

_Thump_

I fell to the ground as a meaty claw came down on my stomach. I gasped as the air left me.

I opened my eyes and just barely rolled out of the way of a giant fist. The dirt sprayed in my face as the fist pounded the ground.

Come on, Maximum, I thought, don't let these brainless dogs do you in.

I leapt un gracefully to my feet, just to be knocked back down as an Eraser kicked my back. Once again, I got to my feet, just barely dodging another fist.

I really didn't know how much more I could take. I knew my arms were re-broken some ten times, and I'm pretty sure my toes were out of commission. Blood was pouring down my nose and scalp, staining my already filthy shirt. My jeans were reduced to rags, just barely hanging on my hips. My arms were full of scratched and new bruises, and my legs strongly resembled rotten grapes.

_Kick, punch, duck, ow, get up, kick, kick, punch, jump, dizzy…_

_Max, _I heard The Voice/Jeb say, _behind you--_

He never finished. I felt a splitting pain in the space between my wings. I never had time to register what it was, because I fell to the ground with a shriek.

Another bell sounded, loud and shrill. I saw the Erasers get led off while some whitecoats started coming at me, clipboards in front.

I heard them talk; "Disappointing, barely able to make it out alive."

"She's barely been eating, maybe…"

"We should not have to feed our weapons. Would you feed a gun?"

"She is a person, too, John…"

"Oh, really, do you have wings sticking out from your back to?"

"She's just a child."

"She's an experiment. Nothing more. She can't even serve her purpose. Send her to the tank, she'll be retired tomorrow."

I turned my head to see two whitecoats hovering over me. One was a motherly looking women, with a plump face and kind eyes, though they were clouded with regret. The other was a fourty something man, looking at me coldly.

I fealt more hands start grabbing my arms, trying to pull me up, like I was a potato sack or something.

I did the only thing I could do; I screamed.

I cursed the whitecoats, I cursed their mothers, I cursed their children, I even cursed their _dog._

I don't know if I was going crazy, or all the meds they were pumping into me were kicking in, but something inside me snapped. I thrashed wildly around, trying to peel their arms away from me. Every touch hurt, any contact my skin had with anything hurt. I screamed hysterically, sqeezing my eyes shut and kicking my legs around.

_Max, I won't let them do anything to you, just calm down. _Jeb thought at me.

My mind was to crazed to even listen. I continued to writhe and scream and kick, until I felt something sharp go into my neck and the world go black.

A/N Sorry that took forever. This chapter I think is pretty badly written. I did it in like 20 minutes, and I know you want some Fang POV, but I wanna wait 'till he's closer to finding her.

Xoxoxxo

Danielle


	7. Escape

A/N…

A/N….

I know you've all been waiting, so….

FANG'S POV!!

(Finally, right?)

Fang landed with a thunk on the dirt, bending over and sighing hopelessly. He felt the Flock land next to him, each falling to the ground in a wave of complaints;

"Fang! We've been flying for _three hours! _"

"Yeah, can we get some food!"

"Are we there yet?"

"I'm _starving!"_

Christ, Fang thought, how does Max _take it. _He had been hearing this type of chatter for _weeks, _and he was ready to go Nazi on these kids. He would have killed to have at least Angel there, so she could make them all _shut it. _But, sadly, he didn't, and they wouldn't, and until he found Max, he was leader.

That is, _if _he found Max.

He shook off all following thoughts of her strapped to a cold steel table, having a scalpel dragged through her like paper and turned to the Flock, putting on an icy look that would make even _Max _stop dead in her tracks. As expected, silence swept them all at once, hitting his ears with contempt. He still loved the fact that he could do that.

"Okay," he said sternly, "we'll rest, _for only an hour,"_ he added, pausing the whoop of delight making it's way from Gazzy, instead meeting a chorus of _awwws _and _boos._

"We'll eat, and then keep going. And no 'buts'. If we want to find Max and Angel, we have to make some head way."

"Max would let us rest for at least a night." Gazzy grumbled, digging in the backpack.

"Yeah, well, Max isn't here…" he trailed off, his stern voice cracking with once again all to real notion that she may _never _be here. Again.

He looked back up, seeing the expectant, weary eyes of the Flock. He knew he couldn't let the Flock think like that, even though most probably were. He knew that if he said anything about it, it would cause panic, and a panicked Flock does not make for easy travel. They all expected him to be the leader, not worried, because if he wasn't worried, they knew there was nothing to worry about.

"What are you waiting for, _eat. _I don't want none of you complaining later." He said dismissively, turning around and walking toward the trees.

"Where are you going?" Nudge called.

"Taking a walk!" he called back.

"Aren't you hungry!" called Iggy. I could hear him popping open a bag of hotdogs.

"Not right now."

He could hear Iggy's protest from behind him, but he ignored them and walked deeper into the forest, watching the sky disappear behind the green clouds of trees.

He walked for a while longer before something caught his eye.

At first, it looked like a hawk. This area was crowded with them, he knew. But then he saw the wings, short and pure white. Almost like an angel, Fang thought.

Angel?

He squinted, straining his raptor vision to its limit. He saw flowing, somewhat dirty yellow hair swivel in the wind, brushing the frantically flapping wings. He saw the slightest tint of blue on a pale, yet rosy cheeked face. He knew that face…

"Angel!" he called, cupping his hands over his mouth. Angel stopped mid-flap, looking around frantically. He could now see the dirt smudged tears tracks rolling down her cheeks.

"Angel!" he called again, breaking into a run towards her direction.

He knew she spotted him when she called back, her voice cracking, "Fang!"

"Angel!" he called again, whipping his wings out, prepared for take off.

"Fang! Fang!" he heard Nudge and Iggy's voice call out from behind him.

He saw Angel's small form start diving towards him, getting bigger and bigger until she was almost right in front of him. He almost fell back as she slammed into, tightening her arms around his neck.

"Fang!" called Iggy again. Fang heard leaves bristling, twigs snapping under feet.

"Fang!" Angel sobbed into the crook of his neck, burying her face in his shirt.

"Angel, where…" he started gently, running his hands through her knotty hair.

"Angel!" he heard Nudge squeal.

Angel lifted her face and caught sight of Nudge, "Nudge!"

Angel!" Nudge called again, she too ramming into fang, Angel moving her hands from his to Nudge's.

"It's so good to see you! Where have you been!" she said.

"Max…Max…I…" Angel cried. My heart thudded against my chest. I turned Angel towards me, taking everyone, except Iggy, who had just made his way from the underbrush, by surprise, "Where's Max." I asked steadly, a determined set to my voice.

Angel sobbed again, "The school."

A/N Mkay, that is all I will write for now. Sorry. I know you all wanted some Fang P.O.V. I will explain how Angel got out and all in the next chapter.

Xoxoxoxo

Danielle!


	8. Alone

MRMRMRMRMR

MRMRMRMRMR

Angel bolted from room to room, the alarms blaring like a bullhorn. She knew the whitecoats were looking for her, but she wasn't going down without a fight.

She saw another metal door at the end of the hall. She made a beeline for it, tackling it straight on, the screeching sound of metal on metal blending in with the alarms. She looked inside, seeing nothing but darkness.

"Max!" she called. No Answer.

She looked on the side of the door and found a switch. Flipping it, the room was illuminated with fluorescent lights, dimly lighting the bleak room. She looked around. Nothing but a broken dog crate and a metal operating table, crusted with dried blood. She ignored the wave of nausea that rippled through her stomach and continued down the hall.

"Hey!" a gruff voice shouted from behind her. Angel dared to look back, feeling a mild sting brush her cheek. She yelped in surprise and saw some sort of gun was aimed at her, carried by a none to happy white coat, a blood hungry look in his eye.

She looked forward again, using every leg muscle she had to sprint forward, making quick, sharp turns around every curve of the halls. She heard the jagged breath of her pursuer turn into a wheeze, the thumps of his boots become slower. She made another turn and found a door. Pushing through it, she slammed it shut behind her, hoping the sound had been drowned out by the blaring of the alarms. She heard the footsteps whiz closer and closer to the door, then fade away. She sighed, turning around and sliding down the door.

In front of her, she noticed, was a large tube-thing, and filled with some sort of green liquid. Beside it was what she recognized as a heart monitor, the beeping slow and far apart. She squinted in curiosity, leaning her head in, she saw a figure inside. It was skinny, probably too skinny, with pale skin that stood out against the dark green. It had long, flowing hair that stood at all ends, barely moving.

At closer look, she saw it was a girl, and she was wearing tattered, blood stained clothes. Angel looked at the face. She saw something familiar in the face. Then it hit her.

Max.

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I hated it. I hated it. I _hated _it.

I was back in the tank, my head permanently leaning against the solid liquid, the biting cold nipping at my skin, burning my cuts.

I had gone inside myself, urging my heartbeat to lessen, my pulse to stop. I heard the door slam open and shut, mixing among the insistent blaring that had started. For a few minutes nothing happened. I expected it to be Jeb to pull me out again, but no. Nothing happened.

Then, out of nowhere, the heart monitor finally stopped, the flat line ringing through my ears.

"Max!" a high, angelic voice cried. The sound of tiny fist pounding on glass sounded, vibrating the jell-o that I was in.

I was too far in my trance to really take any notice of it. I was probably imagining it. This was probably all just a dream, I told myself. The idea made the tank less bearable, to be honest. All I was doing was waiting for them to pull me out and shoot me into the ground. They probably had the Flock, too, I thought bleakly. Probably already dead.

I sighed inwardly, thinking of nothing but what I would do if I saw the Flock again. I'd take them to Disney World again, and get them buckets of ice cream, get them the best food money can buy, listen to Nudge talk for hours about nothing, let Izzy and Gazzy blow up anything they could get their hands on, let Fang sneak up on me out of nowhere till his heart contempt, but Angel every single toy she could carry, get Total a bucket of steak.

But I couldn't do any of that. I was as good as dead. They were probably going to die, if not already. They were all dead, and I was alone.

MRMRMRMRMRMR

A/N Okay, I was gonna do more, but I thought that was a pretty good ending. Next chapter, explains everything, and Max will get found _soon, _I promise!

Xoxoxoxo

Danielle o.0


	9. Angel II

A/N Yay

A/N Yay! Next chapter! This story is starting to turn into one of my favs. Hope you like!

Olay!

Angel II soared through the sky, scanning the dark underbrush for 'the Flock', her sickeningly yellow hair flowing smoothly in the breeze. She hated this form. She hated the shining baby face. She hated the pure white wings, wings that she would have happily torn out and stomped on if she could. She hated that she was so _small, _without the dizziest chance of growing. _Ever. _She hated that her only purpose was to bring a bunch of experiments to the School. She wouldn't be surprised if she were zapped has soon as they were there. After all, she was recyclable goods.

She skimmed the occasional gapes spotting the vast forest, her extended vision allowing her to count every speck of dirt on the ground. She had been flying for hours, and she was getting wary. She wasn't tired, not in the least. She could easily fly from Antartica and back without breaking a sweat. It was the plain country, the never ending forest, the uneventful skies. She wanted to fight, train. She would've been happy to be sent to _kill _the experiments, not to _deliver _them. She was a highly advanced, trained cone, not a messenger.

"Angel!" came a call from below, a call a normal person wouldn't have picked up, but her bat like hearing could hear as though it were shouted three inches from her ear.

She looked down and saw a dark figure, running through the forest. She groaned inwardly, putting on the best scared six year old face she could muster, and swiveled around, tucking her wings in and free falling towards the boy.

She found herself flinging into him, sending him stumbling back.

(A/N okay, I'm lazy, so let's skip to when she's telling him about Max. Ay?)

"Where's Max." he stated more then asked. Angel II kept urging the tears to flow. _Anything to get them there. Anything to get them there. _She thought to herself.

"She's at the school. We have to save her."

A/N oh my, that was rather pointless wasn't it? Oh well, get over it. I have a report to finish.

Aww, don't be sad, I still love ya.

Xoxoxoxo

The Chosen One (Oooh, penname potential?)


	10. The Agony of Living

1…

_1….2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…_

A/N Okay, I'm sorry if I'm being lazy, but I'm just going to have Jeb take Max out of the tank and put her and Angel in some crates. Cool?

Maybe I'll redo it some day, but for now this is what your getting.

I felt Jeb wrap the blanket around me as I screamed in agony, writhing under his iron hold. Everything hurt, even the soft fabric.

I could hear Angel's protest for him to let me go, her calling my name, asking what was wrong, and I just wanted to pick her up and hug her, but the idea seemed next to impossible.

I heard Jeb trying to sooth me, placing me on the same metal table. I felt him put his hand on my arm. I jerked it away, "Don't touch me!"

And, like last time, the pain faded into an irritating ache, my screams died down into a pathetic whimper, and Jeb began his reasoning.

"Max," he started, "can you hear me?"

"Yes I can freaking hear you." I snapped. I heard him chuckle.

"I just wanted to let you know that they sent Angel II out to the Flock. They should be here any day."

My eyes snapped open, looking at him in disbelief. They sent one of those _clones _to bring _my _Flock to a living hell? And he was talking about it like it was the most rational thing in the world.

"What!" I hissed, my voice cracking.

He looked at me with sad eyes, "I've been given the job to wait for them. Angel II will be sent back to the grounds, I'll take them to you, and let you escape. Nothins going to happen, Max, don't worry."

"Aren't I supposed to be _retired."_ The word rolled off my tongue like a disease, leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

Jeb sighed, "I think they'll get here before that happens. Though…" he trailed off, looking thoughtfully at Angel, who was plastered to my side, looking at m with tear stained eyes, "I might not be able to stop them from doing…some last minute experiments…"

"No, they are _not _touching her." I stated hoarsely, sliding my hand so my fingers lay on her tiny hands.

Jeb gave me a weird look, "Not her, you."

Just as he said this, a small humming sounded from his pocket. He looked down and reached in, taking out a small cell phone, vibrating in his hands.

"Batchelder." He said, like he was picking up some office phone. I snorted.

"Yes, I took her out of the tank…Because her vitals were failing….No….I wouldn't….I don't see why that's necessary, if your just going to….No, ma'am. I…."

He went on like this for at least five minutes before he sighed in defeat and closed the phone.

"So, boss lady giving you some hard times?" I muttered.

He ignored me, "I have to get you to the operation room."

I furrowed my eyebrows, "And, this would be why?"

"They have a new….experiment, they want to test out. On hybrids. They want to see how you will react."

"What is it this time? Webbed feet? A pig snout? No offense, Jeb, but this whole animal bit is getting a little old--"

"Max, this is serious." He interrupted, his voice hard and stressed. He rubbed his eyes, "If this doesn't work right…it could kill you."

MRMRMRMRMRMRMRMRMRMRMRMRMRMRMRMRMRMRMR

A/N Omg, again sooo sorry I'm making all these really pointless chapters, but these arejust space fillers till I cure my writers block. Don't hate me!

Xoxoxoxo

Danielle


	11. Fire

A/N Sigh, next chapter

A/N Sigh, next chapter. I wrote myself in a corner, cause now I can't do something I wanted to, and I have to have the story drag on forever. Sigh.

Oh Well, get over it and read.

I raised an eyebrow, "Yeah and this is just the epiphany of safe medical practice."

Jeb, abandoning all forms of calm he had left, banged his fist to the table, his eyes frantically darting around the room, "Max, this is _serious. _"

I jumped a little as his fist smacked the table, startled, "Well, what do they actually want to do that's oh so _serious."_

He looked torn, looking at me, the clock, the door, and then me again. I tried to keep my face blank and/or contradicting, but I knew I looked like a scared little kid.

He sighed, whether from annoyance or hopelessness I wasn't sure, "They want to test….three way hybrids. Adding another set of DNA to another hybrid, see what it will do to your genetic structure…." He said it like he didn't understand himself, like he was answering a question in school.

I gawked at him, "Yeah, 'cause the freaking _wings _don't do it for ya, right?"

"It's not my idea!" he countered, saying it like an annoyed ten year old. He whirled around to another table behind him and started typing on a computer, so fast I didn't think the computer would catch up.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"He's shutting down the power system." Angel said softly. I gasped as I remembered that she was still in the room.

"This should buy us some time. I'll take you to the dispatching dock and we'll wait for Angel II to bring the Flock."

"She won't kill them, will she?" I asked.

He avoided my eye, "No, she's just delivering them--"

"What? Like there freaking _pizzas?_"

"Max," he started, his shoulders slumping, "you know what I mean. They should be here any minute, transmission tells me there just at the California border. I--"

He was cut off by the slam of metal on metal, ringing through my ears like sharp knifes. I gasped.

I swiveled my head around on the table, meeting swarms of armed men wearing bio-hazard suits, bazooka-guns pointed at us.

"Jeb Batchelder," one said in a husky voice, "you are under arrest for betrayal of government trust and the stealing of government property." Three jump suit guys stepped out of the group and cuffed Jeb, who was probably still in shock, without lowering their guns.

"What do we do with them?" one asked, twitching his gun towards Max and Angel, who was doing her best impression of a fighting stance, which in any other circumstances, Max would have found adorable.

"Isn't that one scheduled for remodeling?" another offered, from somewhere in the middle of the crowd.

"Yes, take her to surgery. Take the little one down to the gym, do some last minute endurance test. She'll be retired tomorrow." The husky voice commanded.

I felt rough hands grab my arms, making me hiss in pain. I looked to Angel, who was struggling against three suits grabbing her arms and legs. I saw the glint of a needle move towards her so fast she probably didn't see it.

She went limp in their hands.

"No!" I cried, pulling any strength I had to pull away from the hands. More pairs darted to my arms, slamming them back to the table. "No! Angel! No!"

White hot fury pulsed through my. I felt an unimaginable heat spark in my finger tip. White flashed through my eyes, blocking all sight, all reason. I was seeing red, red everywhere, the heat growing, spreading to my wrist. A blaze grew in my eyes, burning through my retinas like a wild fire. The voices became muffled, distant. Whispers, almost, an irritating distraction. All that mattered was Angel. I had to get them away from Angel, away from me, away from my Flock. I wanted them all to burn in hell, taking their little needles and big boy bazookas with them.

The fire grew, the whispers growing louder with each increase in temperature. Sweat poured down my forehead, dripping from my chin. I couldn't tell if I was on the table anymore, I couldn't even feel pain. I knew the fire should have hurt. It didn't. It felt good, leaking through my pours like warm water.

"What the hell is happening?" a whisper hissed, breaking through the wall.

"I told you this would happen! I _told _you! She's unstable! We can't operate on her!"

"What the hell do we do!"

"Get some water or something! I don't know!"

"Jesus Christ!"

A blaze exploded through my fingertips, releasing itself from my body, spraying foreword like a fiery sprinkler. Pained screams echoed around me.

"Knock her out! Sedate her! She's unstable, she must be destroyed!"

"How is this happening?!"

"She's mutating on her own! I _told _you!"

Then, of course, the voice butted it's ugly head in, even it sounding far off and distant;

_Max, calm down._

I would have ignored him, I really would have, except for the fact I felt the energy drain from me. The wonderful blaze died down to a mild heat, fading so quickly I didn't have time to think. The sweat dried as the unusually cool air of the lab room assaulted my face, the cool metal table burning my skin more then any fire. The power I had felt was gone, leaving me panting and in pain, legs and arms dangling from the side. No energy to move, not even open my eyes. I hated it. I wanted the fire back, I wanted the power _back. _

I heard the moans of unlucky whitecoats, the frantic demands of Husky Voice, something about a tank, or cage or something. I had no room in my mind to be concerned with it. Two things flashed through my mind; fire, and Fang.

I drifted.

A/N Oooh, thought I'd feed ya with some Faxness there, since you've _obviously _been deprived. Hope you like!

How will it end?? I don't know, and I'm the dang author!! Oooh…..


	12. Rescue

AA

AA

AA

A/N Um…Next Chapter….yep….

P.S. Fang's totally bringing sexy back!!

I woke up feeling wet. Not like, after it rains, wet. More like I was ten feet under water wet. _Cold _water. Like, below zero. It was nipping at my skin, my fingers, my neck, to the point where it was painful. I looked into my _Survival 101 _skills and remembered that the numb was supposed to come after pain. I really hoped that came soon. At least my arms were already sort of numb. Sort of.

I gradually opened my eyes, feeling a tide rush into them, making everything a blur. An unrecognizable blur.

I squinted at a measly attempt to make sense of the moving blurs in front of me. I opened my mouth to scream, but felt some sort of pressure squeeze it back shut. I swiveled my head from side to side when it occurred to me.

I was in a tank of _water._

Water, as in _water, _H20, liquid. They dumped me and a freaking tank of _water_.

I tried to pick up my arms, but they wouldn't move. Same with my legs, and fingers, and toes, and…everything. It was like I was frozen from the neck down. Now, this did not bode well for me. I'm not the type to sit still for long periods of time. I'm a bit of an active person, maybe even hyper, though I hid it well. And, being part avian, I wasn't particularly fond of swimming. Or sinking. Or water in general. So, as you can well imagine, being paralyzed in a tank of water wasn't exactly my idea of a good time.

I began shaking my head rapidly, my heart thudding in my chest. I felt the blood rise up in my cheeks, a small simmer light up in my finger tips, only to go out as soon as it left my pores. If only I could bring the fire back, I could blast the stupid tank open and get the hell outta here.

_Max?_

Yay. Voice time.

_Oh what do I oh this pleasant surprise, Jeb? _I thought sluggishly, my mind lagging behind.

_I'm in jail._

I snorted inwardly, _yeah; I'm in a tank full of water and wires up my nose._

_Max, I'm serious._

_So am I._

Pause.

_Can you see where you are?_

_Can you?_

I heard him sigh.

_Max, I need you to listen to me. Can you move your arms?_

_No._

Pause. Long Pause.

_Damnit._

_Language check._

_Can you hear any alarms? _He asked, ignoring me. I listened intensely, hearing only the slightest blaring of an alarm.

_Yeah._

_Good, the Flocks there._

_They escaped?_

_They were never captured. The guards are talking about how as soon as they realized it was Angel II they brought her to the school and knocked out every guard on staff._

I grinned. Of course they did, I thought to myself, they _did _learn from the best.

_Wait, what about Angel??_

_There probably looking for you right now._

_She's okay?_

_She's okay…._

The way he said it made me worried.

_And…_

Pause, _how do you feel?_

_Jeb, this isn't father-daughter share time._

_Do you hurt anywhere?_

_I'm in sub zero waters, Jeb, I can't really _feel _anything._

_You're sure you can't move?_

_Yes._

The people on the other side of the tank's voices became clearer;

"Specimen shows no abnormal behavior or vitals."

"God damn it, they got Subject Eleven!'

"We better get more guards outside, could get risky."

"Why don't we just kill her now?"

"I want to do some last minute experiments, for future avian hybrids. This ones quit successful, probably our best yet."

"I don't know, she looks so much like my daughter, just her age too. It doesn't seem right."

"Just think of her as an animal, don't get so attached. Works for me."

"Hey, her blood pressures going up."

I ground my teeth together. Is that how they thought of me? As an _animal_? A piece of meat? With no thoughts? Or feelings? That they could just play with and throw out when their done?

_Max, don't, when your body temperature gets to high--_

A sudden shock wave shot through my like a bullet. I cried out, only for it to be muffled by some kind of breathing device. I was glad I was in water. I didn't want them to see me cry.

_Why am I in here, Jeb? _I thought frantically, loosing any cool I had.

_You're mutating on your own, things we didn't program. Before, when they were taking me away…I don't know what it was. It was like fire was shooting from your hands._

I blinked. The fire, the heat. I had freaking _fire _shoot from my hands. I could _totally _live with that.

_That's not a good thing, Max._

_And, why not?_

_You were approaching super nova._

_And that's, like, hotter then the sun, right?_

_Yes._

_Still not seeing the problem._

I could hear the frustration in his voice, _Max, it could kill you. _Kill _you. Even if it doesn't burn you to a crisp, it will still drain you of any energy you have in you. If you get to super nova, it will literally destroy the world as we know it. Do you understand me?_

_Yes, yes, jeez, super nova bad, got it. _I thought blandly. Some parents yell at their kid for not taking the garbage out. Nope, not my dad. He tells me not to destroy the free world.

Suddenly, before I even processed what was happening, the door to the tank was slammed open, the water spilling out, making a pool on the floor, curving around someone's sneakers. As the water went, I fell over, landing limply in someone's arms, the breathing device being plucked from my mouth. I gasped in fresh air subconsciously, though I wasn't really coherent of anything.

"Max?" a timid, frightened voice whispered.

"Come on! We have to go!"

"Max!" a deeper, more urgent voice demanded.

"Fang! Come _on!"_

"Fang…" I muttered weakly.

"Let's go!"

"I'm right here Max. We're getting you out of here."

"Angel?" I whispered.

"She's right here. She's fine. Just…can you move?"

I tried to move my arms again. Nothing. I shook my head.

"Come on! Just carry her! There coming!"

"Fang…" I whispered again, before I drifted into to dark yet again.


	13. Falling

D

D

A/N Okay, you know what, read any of my stories, you _know _I do not ask for reviews. I don't beg like some of these other people here, but come _on!_

There was an author on this thing that got like a hundred reviews in a month!! REVIEW!! I will not update until I at least hit ninety!! God.

Anyways, here's the next chappie!!

Max….

I felt wind blowing in my face, cooling off the feverish sweat dripping from my forehead. My hair blew in my face. There was the sound of bullets being fired from a gun. I felt the air whoosh past my face as narrowly avoided one.

I looked down, seeing the green underbrush whiz past me in a blur. I gulped, the pain of not flying by myself settling in. I turned my head up, catching the flapping black feathers frantically wave, a bullet cutting a tip, black hairs swirling to the ground.

"Fang?" I said, my hoarse voice lost in the overwhelming rush of the wind speeding past.

He didn't hear me, of course. He had a determined set in his face, his jaw clenched and sweat trickling down his olive skin.

I looked past his shoulder, seeing Angel's snowy white wings fluttering like a chicken, cutting through the wind with a _swoop. _Iggy was trailing Fang's foot, his eyes unseeingly faced foreword, unaware of anything but the sound of wing's flapping and bullets flying past. Nudge was to Fang's side, her wild hair falling from her braid and into her face, sticking to the sweat dripping from her forehead. I could distantly see Gazzy's jeans from behind her. I noticed he was missing a shoe. I'd have to get him a new one.

Before I had time to think, I felt Fang's arms falter, jump with surprise. His hand dug into my shoulder, letting out a soft grunt only I could hear. I felt us lose altitude, my stomach jumping in my throat like a roller coaster. I instinctually clutched his arm, looking at his face.

It as twisted in pain, his teeth clenched, and his eyes squinted.

"Nudge!" I called, even though she was a good ten feet above us by now.

I heard her scream from above, calling out to Iggy.

"Fang!" I called at him, my voice cracking.

"Max, get on top!" he called, his voice strained.

"What happened!"

"Bullet hit my wing!"

Things are never easy, are they?

"Crap…" I cursed under my breath, "Okay, did it get in?"

"I don't…think so!" he screamed. I could feel his arms straining against the wind, a failed attempt to gain altitude, "Don't try to flap! Try to get a good--"

I didn't have time to finish my sentence before the ground came smashing down on me. I heard it before I felt it. The _pop _of my shoulder swinging from its socket, sending a wave of nausea through me.

I heard the sound of Fang's body thump against the Earth right beside me, sending a cloud of dirt into the air.

I gasped against the dirt making its way to my dry lungs, coughing like a mad man. My still un healed arms throbbed, the sharp pain radiated from my shoulder to my neck, and I could feel a bruise forming at my side, pulsating like I-don't-know what.

"Fang!" I distantly heard Nudge call from above through the ringing in my ear and the urge to barf my guts out.

The sound of bullets flying from a machine gun sounded through the air, way to close for comfort.

I took my good hand and covered my head, slowly turning my head to the side. The rest of the Flock had docked, huddled in protective balls on the ground. I saw the bullets raining down on us, just barely missing my head. Just.

I saw Angel fly back as a set of mini-explosions circled her. Of course, me being _me, _I ignored any pain that was pulsating through my body—which was a lot—and leaped forward, covering Angels tiny body with my own, hugging her with my good arm. Every time the sound of a bullet being fired, she made a reluctant yelping sound, jumping under my hold.

"What the hell is it?" I called hoarsely.

"Flyboys, I think!" I heard Iggy call back.

Just as quickly as they came, they were gone. Just like that. The sound of their metallic bodies hovering off into the distance was loud against the sudden silence. I could hear the tops of trees bristling as they passed, until finally, the only sound was my labored breathing and Angels soft sobs. The pounding headache seemed more obvious now, and my shoulder, lying limply at my side, felt like it was being stabbed with ragged, rusty knives. Anything that wasn't broken before was probably broken now, and I could see dots fade in at the corner of my vision. Not good.

"Report!" Fang called after a moment of silence.

"I'm fine!" Nudge squeaked.

"Good here!" Gazzy called.

"Have a twig sticking in my butt, but I'm good!"

"I'm okay!" Angel said called softly, enough for Fang to here.

"Max?" he shouted.

"I'm fine…." I muttered, heaving myself off of Angel and leaning back against a tree, nausea erupting in my stomach.

"Max!" Fang yelped. I saw his dark form rise from the ground in front of me before I drifted into a fitful sleep.

A/N Ahhh, thought I'd end it. My laptop is 4 WEEKS LATE. I'm am so tired of my mom's computer. Annoyed much? Chya.


	14. Symtoms

A/N Okay, guys, lap top is back!! But here's the kicker, I don't have spell check on it. My last few chapters were perfectly grammer-tized 'cause my moms computer did. Ironic.

I would love a beta, if anyone wants. You'll get, like, 10 Danielle Coolness points!!

So, on with the fanfiction that you all adore...

"How far now?"

"God, I don't _know_! Do I look like I have a GPS anywhere?"

"Fang, she's waking up..."

"Okay, everyone stop! Land! Nudge, don't touch her again."

"Hmmm...?" I murmered, swirling arrays of colors spinning behind my lids. I et my head dip to the other side, resting against the rippling sleeve of Fang's t-shirt. How was he carrying me? While flying, of all things? Last time he had to, he wouldn't stop bitching about it.

"Are we flying?" I asked faintly, barely hearing it myself over the rush of the wind.

"Yeah. Try and stay awake." he said briskly.

"How are you carrying me?"

He paused, "You don't really weigh all that..." he trailed off, his voice full of regret, maybe even anger. He changed the subject, "How you feeling?"

I thought about it. Arms, ow. Shoulder, still hanging uselessly from the socket. Legs, ow. Head, woah, ow. Stomach, hungry. Really hungry.

"Hungry."

He laughed, thouh I heard no humar in it. I could picture his face. Falsly attempting impassive, not masking the anger, pity, fear maybe. A smile plastered on, trying to be the big man. I hated that face. I was so full of misery it looked like it would consume him. I'm glad I couldn't open my eyes. I didn't want to see it.

Then I thought of the face he made when he was shot. Okay, grazed, but still. Twisted with pain. I shuddered.

"What about your wing?" I was starting to realize I was sort of hourse.

I could feel him shrug, "Iggy fixed it. It was just a scratch."

"You were shot."

"And stabbed, beaten to a pulp and knocked around like a rag doll. I think I can handle it, Max."

"You shouldn't be flying."

"Worry about yourself."

"Worry about _your_self."

He sighed, "I really could drop you if I wanted."

"No you wouldn't" I chuckled, nustling into his arm and drifted back to sleep. Again.

--Max Ride--

"Hey, hey! Max! Come on, I'm serious!"

I groaned, scooting away from whoever's touch it was, wincing at the sharp pain radiating from the left side of my body.

"Max, food's ready, and I _know _you're hungry. Get up or we're giving your protion to Total."

My stomach lurched at the thought of anything of substance. I probably should eat, seeing as I can't remember the last time I chewed anything solid, but just thinking about it made me nauseus.

"Not hungry." I mumbled to Fang, sinking into whatever makeshift bed Fang had concocted while I was out. Without even looking at him I knew he wanted to baby me and nurse me back to health or whatever, but he knew I would have ground him in the dirt if he did, so he saved it for my un-waking hours. Smart on his part.

"Max..." is tone subconciously softened, "you gotta eat something--"

"I said I'm not freaking hungry." I snapped, dragging my arm to my heaad and rubbing the temples in a pathetic attempt to ease the pain.

I could see is hurt look in my head, those sad, wounded little eyes he only showed when he thought no one was looking, the one that showed he wasn't a complete emotionless droid.

"Thought you should know," he continued, pretending he didn't hear me, "we should get to your mom's house by tomarrow, maybe tonight, if we--"

"Let them sleep," I cut him off, "they've been flying alot. Let them get a full night's rest. I'm in no rush."

He sighed, "You really need a doctor, Max."

"I'll tell you when I need a doctor." I said, though there was no trace of the usual menace in my voice. It sounded almost foreign, weak and tired and wary, contridicting my words on it's own. I could here him make a sound liek he was going to argue, but I pulled the itchy blanket he had put on me at some point over my head, making no room for convorsation.

After a while, I heard him get up and leave, calling out some warning to the others not to wake me up for anything, and total ask if he could have my food. Before he left, I heard him mumble, "Your so hard-headed." He left.

Before I drfted off, a smile played on my lips, "And proud of it."

A/N I don't know if that would be considered fluff, but I imagine her saying something like that. I'm trying not to make her all weak and defenless, even though she sort of is. Like, she doesn't want to be treated like a weak little girl, you know?

Anywho, I'm getting really into vampires, so I've been reading alot of that shit. Here's my book of the week:

Marked by: P.C and Kristen Cast

Post some more on every chapter!


	15. Burning

A/N Still waiting for a damn beta people!!

Book of the week:

Demon in My View by: Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Fang leaned against the rough bark of the tree, letting his eyes trail over the sleeping lumps of the Flock. Total lay on his back, his littly legs sticking up in the air. Fang's lip twitched.

He turned his head lazily towards Max, her breath short and wheezy (Real word? I don't know). The night was black, so dark any normal person wouldn't be able to see a thing, but for an Avian American, it was like the moon had brightened ten volts, creating a dim twilight. If Fang hadn't been 2 bird, however, he might've noticed the small flicker of light radiating from Max's pale hand sooner. And, if he were as alert as he usually was, he would have noticed a thick coat of sweat dripping form Max's forhead, or how her breathing had quickened, until it were labored gasp. It wasn't until she let out a small scream that Fang's head perked up, shaking off the sleep that had threatened to take over.

"Max?" he whispered, not wanting to wake the others.

She didn't seem to hear him, adn her body started to shake with horrible tremors, rippling through her like a jolt of electricity.

"Max? You okay?" he asked again, getting to his knees and making his way to her. That's when he noticed the flame.

They were small, spotting all along her arm, little more then leftover sparks from a diminished fire. They were the most at her hand, the center of her palm. They seemed to be radiating, making her skin glow as though there were a flashlight turned on inside of her. Her arm was red hot, the sparks growing, becoming less divided, swollowing her arm like a fiery black hole.

"Jesus..." he muttered, half in shock, half in disbelief. He blinked, almost hoping he was dreaming, or having a lack of sleep episode. Maybe he was losing it, if he even had it to begin with.

He looked around, a small, irational hope that her arm for some reason caught on fire by a still burning ember from the fire that had long ago went out.

He approached her slowly, sliding his knees through the dirt.

"Max..." he breathed, outstretching a hand, feeling the warmth radiate to him like a fire.

He daringly put a hand on her forhead, hissing as he whipped it back as though he put his hand through a raging fire. He looked at his palm, which was red and already swelling. "The hell..." he muttered to himself, shaking his hand in a measly attempt to cool the stinging.

A wave of panic swept through him, and he got to his feet and ran to his pack, clumsily digging out the half filled water bottle he'd been carrying around for the last two months. He ran back to her, eyes tearing from the smoke that was stretching far past the tops of the trees. The rational side of him was worried that they might attract attention--probably from flyboys--but he was to busy scorching his friend's arm with the luke warm water.

It seemed to work, because the flames shrunk, her skin sucking it up like a vaccuum until there was nothing left but her reddened, smoldering skin and flakes of embers scattered in the wet grass. She screamed, though Fang wasn't sure if she was awake. She wasn't. She stayed still, her face still scrunched up in pain.

Fang stared at it for a moment, hardly trusting his own mind. He was snapped back to focus when he heard the terribly familiar hum of little proppellers, getting louder and closer until he saw the top leaves of the towering trees rustle.

"Ah Hell!" he cried. He got to his feet once again and ran to where the flock was sleeping.

"Get up! Up! Up! Up! C'mon! Get up! We gotta go!" he yelled, roughly shaking the lumps as he passed, stuffing their supplies into the two backpacks hastily.

"Wha?" asked Gazzy sleepily. Fang through the pack at him, "Flyboys. Get anything you can. Nudge! Get up!" he screamed over the now disturbingly loud hum droning through the air that was just moments ago peacfully quiet.

He sstopped short in front of Max, taking no time to think, he scooped her up, ignoring the scorching heat that burned his exposed skin.

He looked up. Flyboys were over the clearing, making a beeline straight to them.

"Up and away! Go!" he yeelled as he ran. He saw Gazzy and Angel take off, and Nudge grab Iggy's arm and pull him up with her, narrowly avoiding a tree.

He whipped out his wings and leaped up, giving a quick, hard push downward, sending him gliding into the smoke filled sky.

A/N een holding on to this forever, just to lazy to post. Sorry, honies. I've been reading shit like crazy, like, 5 books in the last 3 days. Might not post for a while, like, ten hundred parties to go to and so little time to do it.

I Heart Kyle.


	16. Chase

A/N Gosh, I'm pulling my hair out I'm so bored. My friend won't stop freaking texting me 'bout her new boyfriend. I actually turned my phone off it got so annoying. Lord help me.

Finished the new Pendragon in like a day. You think I'm good at cliffhangers? Jeez. Can't wait for the next one to come out in like 400 years. Grumbles..

Book of the Week: Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

Fang felt like he was pressing his arms against the top of a stove. Sweat poured down his forhead and pained tears streamed down his cheeks. He knew this wasn't normal in any sense of the word, and they had made alot of definetions of the word normal over the years. He knew if he were to dive down into the nearest stream he could find, that would probably make it easier for the trailing flyboys to catch them. He couldn't just drop Max, despite the fact that she had a camp fire going where her organs should have been. He could only hope that his skin didn't start peeling off and she wouldn't burst into flames again.

"This isn't normal, this isn't normal, thiss isn't normal..." he mumbled through clenched teeth, positive the Flock wouldn't hear over the deafening _zooms _of the Flyboys guns.

"Fang!" Nudge called.

He looked to his right, sparing only a glance of a bush of curly brown hair beforing looking ahead again, "What?"

"I see Doctor Martinez's house! Just up ahead!"

Fang looked up ahead, and sure enough, there lay the home of Dr. Martinez, barely concealed by the looming tree tops. He knew that if he flew any where in that direction, he would be putting Max's mother and sister in danger, which he wouldn't risk. He looked over to Gazzy, who was holding a barking Total, "Total!"

His head snapped toward Fang.

"How many are there?" Fang called.

Total shifted in Gazzy's arms so his head faced the Flyboys. After a few seconds, he turned back, "I can't tell! There moving to fast! Like, six or eight!"

He bit his lip, turning back to the house. If they made a snap turn, drew them at least fifty feet away, Iggy could set a bomb...

"Fang!"

He looked towards Nudge, who was clutching her arm to her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. He saw blood squirt from in between her fingers. "Aw, Hell," he cursed under his breath. With one last longful glance at the dimly lit, cozy little house just feet away, he yelled, "Turn around! Turn around!"

He averted his wings, snapping to the side. "Ig! Make a bomb _now" _

"What!" called Iggy incredulously, "In the _air?"_

"No! Wait until we're burning heaps on the ground!"

"But--"

_"Do it!"_

"Fang," Nudge said. He didn't have to look at her to know she was in pain.

"I know, we'll be at Dr. M's house soon," Fang said, just loud anough for her to hear. A bullet spun past him, inches from his ear, "Hurry up with that bomb, Igs! Gazzy, help him!"

"You try doing making a half decent bomb in mid air and dodging bullets at the same time!"

_Whoosh_, "Hurry!"

Total barked as another bullet spiraled past him.

"C'mon!" Fagn shouted, gritting his teeth so hard together he was suprised they didn't crack.

"I'm freaking blind, Fang!" Iggy snapped. He spared a glance at them, to see Gazzy fumbling with a ball of wires and scrap metal, while Iggy was clumsily twisting two together.

_Whoosh._

"Come on!"

"Almost done!"

_Whoosh._

"Hurry!"

"Gazzy, give me that wire!"

_Whoosh_

_"Now!"_

Fang felt sweat pour down his face, Max slipping from his burning hands as another bullet barely missed her leg.

"Got it!"

A loud _boom _sounded, cutting through the _whooshs _of the bullets. A gust of wind brushed his back, pushing him foreword.

Fang froze where he was, turning around to see furry limbs falling to the ground.

The rest of the Flock stopped, looking at the falling Flyboy parts, their quick breathing the only sound.

He looked to Gazzy and Iggy, who were panting, their wins flapping quickly. Iggy looked at Fang exasperatly, with a gleam of pride sparkling in his eyes. Fang broke the tension with a half smile and a hysteric laugh, "Dude, _nice."_

A/N Eh, Im gonna stop that hear. Thought that would be cute. I promise next one they get to Dr. M's.

Iggy's like the best if he can make a bomb with scrap metal in mid air while being chased by flyboys and bullets flying to either side of him and he's _blind. _Come on, he get's like nothing. That would be so friggen cool.


	17. Base

_Swing_

I wound back, slamming my leg into an Erasers chin. I heard the expected _crack, _an inhuman yelp echo through the the sky, sending a flock of birds soaring from the surrounding trees like a mob. They were lucky.

I distantly saw my Flock falling to the forest floor, one by one like flies, not even a scream escaping them. Part of me was glad. Another wanted to hear those screams. It would mean I hadn't failed completly.

But they didn't. They just let themselves fall, like they had just given up on life, forgotten every thing they... _we_ had wanted, and just...let go.

_Crack._

My arm swung on reflex as my leg was pulled to the side, yanked like a rag doll and snapped like a twig. It amazed me on the lack of effort it took, like I weighed nothing, like I had bones made out of glass.

I screamed, more from hoplessness then pain. My arm met something solid, hard enough to crack the knuckles like walnuts. I turned, meeting wild, hungry eyes. A vindictive grin spread from one ear to the other, revealing yellowed, razor sharp teeth, drool dripping from either corner, sinking in the bushy coat of fur surrounding it all.

With one quick swipe of a meaty paw, I fell from his grip, to shocked to fly, and let myself slam into the dirt, right beside my dying flock, a hopless heap in the mud.

I landed with a _whoosh _as the air left my lungs, leaving me gasping and writhing like a fish out of water.

I turned my head slowly, the soil cool against my burning cheek. Fang's dark eyes stared back at me, unfocused, yet filled with something. Disapointment? Hate? Both?

His head shook, a barely audible movement, his eyes becoming glazed over. He breathed, words that hurt worse then any swing, "Your fault..." He let out a choked, hacking sound, and his head went limp, falling in the dirt, his eyes staring without sight, the ghost of his last words etched on his face.

And just like that, he was gone.

"No..." I sobbed, pink tinted tears rolling down my cheeks, "No!" Bullets were being fired all around me, bringing up clouds of dirt around me, but I didn't care. Fang was dead. Gone forever. I would never see his rare half smiles again. I'd never get to yell at him for sneaking up on me, so silent I had thought he was half snake.

And just like that, it was all gone. The hum of guns, the growling Erasers, my dead Flock. All of it. Gone. Replaced by white. No top, no bottom, no sides. Blank as paper.

And I was alone.

I called out for someone, anyone. No one answered except for my own echo. Sparks of orange flared, standing out against the white. I could feel myself hyperventalate, and I screamed, a bloodcurtling scream that made my ears ring.

The flames got closer, until I was circled off. They bacame higher, until I couldn't see through the smoke, and remembered Fang's lifeless face, his last words, words that cut through me like a rusty knife.

_Your fault..._

My stomach lurched, and my knees shook as though they could no longer carry my weight, and the tears were no longer from the smoke. I let the flames engulf me, not even feeling the burns, and fell into a black whole, swollowing me savagely, like a hungry bear. I slept with that last image of Fang's cold eyes, burning me more then the flames ever could.

...

...

Max began twitching in Fang's arm, indecisive mumbles whispered through the swift winds blowing around him.

"No..." she cried quietly. Fang hissed as her temperature shot up. He felt like he was holding an seventy pound hot potato.

He looked ahead. Yards away from the little home. The safe house. It was like a game of tag, he thought. As soon as he got to base, he was safe.

He flew faster, sweat dripping from his forhead. The wound on his wing stung with each flap. "Nudge, how you doing?"

She didn't answer at first, and Fang thought she didn't hear him. Then he heard her, her voice soft and fragile, sounding younger then she was, "Fine."

He wanted to turn and face her, to look her in the eyes, when Max's temperature shot up again, so hot he could smeel flesh bunring, whether his or hers, he wasn't sure. "Crap." he cursed, curling his hands into fist, just barely keeping a hold on her. _Get to base, get to base. _He thought. Angel probably thought he was going insane.

As he came to the house, he dove into the yard so fast he was almost free falling. He snapped his wings out just in time to land without breaking every bone in his body, landing in the wet grass with a thump. He fell to his knees, setting Max on the grass, the sizzling noise giving him a sick feeling in his stomach. He waved his arms through the air, putting them on the grass. He looked at them, and his stomach turned. They didn't look like hands. They looked like hand statues that had been pulled from an oven at the brink of destruction. They looked he had bubbles popping inside of him. The bits of sleeve that had the misfortune of being within contact range had been charred. He looked down at Max, her skin a tint of red that made her looked sun burnt. She was shaking now, mumbling things he couldn't understand. Sweat was pouring down there face, making smoke rise and making a sound like bacon on a frying pan.

"What's happening to you." he whispered to her, so quitly he hardly heard it himself. The sounds of the Flock landing beside him made him jump. Angel ran up to Fang, her perfect little curls bobbing on her shoulders, "Are you okay Fang?"

He spared her only a glance, beforing bringing them back to Max. He hadn't had time to really look at her since he had gotten her back. She was skinny. Too skinny. Her muscles seemed to big for her skin, like pipes in seran wrap. She had bruises all up and down her arms, on her neck, on her face, her legs, scratches crisscrossing over them like X's on a treasure map. He knew those scratches. They used to get them all the time.

He knew that if she weren't so red, you would see the circles under her eyes, and how pale she really was. He didn't have to see it himself to know. The School did that to you.

"Fang? Why's she all red?" Nudge whispered from beside him. He shook his head. It was the only answer he could give.

Angel reached a hand out toward her. Fang slapped it away, rougher then he meant. He didn't look at her. He couldn't. "Don't touch her." he said absently.

"Mom!" he heard a girl's voice call. He looked up and saw two shadowed figures by the window. He suddenly remembered why he was here. "Angel," he said, closing his hands into fist, hiding any traces of burnt flesh, "go get Dr. Martinez. Tell her Max is hurt." he looked at Nudge, who was cradling her arm against her chest like it was the only thing keeping her alive, "And Nudge.' he added. Angel ran to the door and he could here her pounding on it with has much force as a six year old could muster.

He looked up at Nudge, "Did it stop bleeding?"

She blinked, and nodded.

"Good. Dr. M. will clean it up. Everybody else okay?"

They all nodded.

"Oh my God!"

Fang looked up again, this time seeing Dr. Martinez scuttling towards them, her bag in hand, Ella following close behind. She knelt by Max, right beside Fang. He was about to warn her, but she already had a hand on Max's forhead. She yelped and pulled it back. Her eyes went so wide Fang thought they would pop right out. She looked at him. He shook his head, answering the unasked question.

She looked like she was in shock, whether from seeing her winged daughter practicaly burning a whole in her yard, screaming every or having her hand practicaly singed off, he wasn't sure. Instead of a slew of frantic questions or breaking into hysterics, she said, her voice in awe, she whispered, "What have you kids been _doing_?"

And Fang laughed, the first real laugh he had in ages.

A/N Oh my, that did take a long time. I wanted to end the chapter, so I didn't want the whole 'check up' thing to start until the next chapter. You'd go into shock too, right? That makes sense? Eh, whatever, I'm writing it.


	18. Flames

She was on fire.

She didn't know where she was, or who she was, or even _what _she was. All she knew was that she was on fire.

Not an unbearable temperature, really. She could hardly feel it, compared to the rest of the pain, the different pain, but she could feel it there, under her skin. Boiling her muscles, her tendons. It made her stomach hiss like eggs on a frying pan. It glued her eyelids shut, it froze her bones in place, it trapped her in this body.

It pricked her fingernails, clawing, wanting out. It wanted out of it's prison, it wanted to burn, it wanted to destroy.

She thought it'd be nice, to let it go.

She could still feel it, even at it's lowest point, after it had given up. It was there.

_She's still breathing, right?_

_It's like she's on fire._

_Give her something, _fix her!

_I'm a veternarian, Fang. There's only so much I can do._

_Your an animal doctor. She's part animal, _fix her!

Whispers, voices, faces, all spinning together in one abstract, gruesome picture. She was awake, but she wasn't. She could feel, hear, see, but still she was trapped in this position, with the fire burning away at her from the inside out.

Even the tears coul not escape.

**A/N Mmmkay. Kind of switched from first to second person there. Be glad I updated at all, bitches.**


	19. What Doesn't Kill You

**A/N For the rest of this story, I'm probably going to set up all the chaptors as little oneshots that happen to make sense with each other, because oneshots are easier for me...so...**

**I'm rediculously ashamed of most of the rest of this story, so...**

_I cut my name into my heart  
I'll tear it all apart  
I Beg You... Burn Me Away...  
I won't become your hero just to fight the life I save  
Burn Me Away...  
I won't give up tomorrow just to lose it all today  
I Burn Away... _

"Child of Burning Time", Slipknot_  
_

Ella sat in her living room, with nothing to do except watch Max's Flock sit on her couch, biting their lips and muttering alot of nothing.

The older one, Fang, was in the other room with her mom, and Max. It was strange, seeing Max after all this time. She looked like someone ran a truck over her, then dumped her in a pool of lava. Her skin was red, so red it didn't look like skin. Like someone had taken off the skin, leaving nothing but the muscle. It was gross, disgusting, but she couldn't make herself look away until her mom had slammed the door behind her. Every few minutes she told Ella to make some more ice packs, or get something for the other kids to do, distract them. She wasn't sure anything could, by the looks on their faces. Except for Iggy. He just kind of looked bored.

She had put on a movie that no one was watching, and the credits had started to role, so she put in another. It was a horror movie. She took it out.

"You guys want something to eat?" she asked. Nudge and the Gasman sort of perked up, glancing at her for the first time since they arrived.

"Waffles? With syrup?" Nudge asked. Her lips were barely parted, and she sat strait against the couch cushions. She had dark lines laced, curled around her brown eyes. Her cheeks were, slightly, sunken in, and her shoulder blades jutted under skin like lumps of clay.

"Yeah, sure."

--

"Hold her still, Fang."

"I a_m _holding her still."

Max silently writhed under Fang's grip, the padded leather of his gloves digging into her skin, irritating it like nothing else. She couldn't find any kind of voice to ward him off, to ward _them _off. All she could do was wriggle like a worm from a bird.

She kept her eyes closed, though, for some reason even she didn't know. Fang was talking to her, asking her questions she didn't care to answer.

Dr. Martinez quietly took her temperture, her pulse. She rubbed something, a cloth maybe, onto her arms and cheeks, and she could almost hear her skin sizzle.

Purple sparks flew across her vision as a wave of pain stabbed at her chest, and she arched her back. Fang's hands pinned her arms to the bed, and she struggled.

It was over fast, and she fell back into her mind without as much as a thought.


	20. Not a Chapter, Sorry

**Author's Note**

**Sorry, not a chapter.**

**I've been working on my **_**Twilight **_**story, so this one's on hold. I have half of the next chapter done, so I'm not completley hopeless. Again, I'm not very reliable when it comes to chapter fics, but I'm trying. **

**To be honest, I have no clue where this is going. **

**I have a line up of fire-related songs for the beginning of chapters, if it's an consolation.**

**Enjoy what I got so far. Got a shit load of one shots on my profile, if you need something to do with your life.**

**By the way, read **_**Wicked Lovely **_**by Melissa Marr. Soooo good.**

**Later....**


	21. What?

_This fire runs in through my being  
Burning I'm not used to seeing you_

I'm alive, I'm alive

-"All Around Me", Flyleaf

When I woke, the fire was gone.

I curled my fingers around the cloth around me, the feeling strange against my skin.

I looked down at my arm. It wasn't swollen, or bruised, or red, or charred beyond recodnision. It was _there_.

I felt myself make a noise. A mix between choking and gasping. My throat felt dry, and my head spun feverishly. The room seemed to be eighty degrees. Although not worse then being roasted on top of a fire, it still remained uncomfortable. I unconciously threw the blanket aside, a breath I hadn't known I was holding breaking from my lungs and seering my throat. I imagined it's how fire breathing dragons felt.

I stared at the ceiling absently for a moment, thinking, wondering where I was, where I had last been, why there were empy ice packets wedged under the blanket. Though it was clearly pitch black in the room, everything seemed to be lit by a thousand tiny ligtbulbs hidden beneath the walls, creating a sort of dim twilight that didn't feel natural.

I sat up and looked around. I remembered the room, the bed I sat on, from months, maybe years, ago. I had been bleeding, then I had been eating, in here, this room. There were cookies?

I swung my legs over the bed, the sudden ease a shock after a seemingly endless stream of pain gaping throughout my current memory strand. A slight tingle. Uncomfortable, maybe. Not painful. I basked in it.

I stood, my legs wobbling and knocking together like garbage bags filled with Jell-O. I reached my hand out, the palm landing on the post of the bed. I leaned against it until I was sure that I could walk three inches without killing myself.

I felt around the end wall until the cool metal of the doorknob is in my fist, the steel like dry ice on my uncomfortably warm skin. I turn it, and shuffle onto the hallway carpet.

The light that my eyes seemed to produce led a pathway into the kitchen. It was like autopilot, my stomach controlling the movement of my legs until I was standing in front of the refridgerator and the door was open, revealing nearly empty shelves of old food.

I took the only thing that wasn't rotten, two apples and a jar of peanut butter. The light flicked on, and I jumped, bashing my hip against the counter.

My eyes widened at the sudden light, the back of them suddenly on a sudden rampage against my brain. I gasped, covering my face with my hand, the apple clattering to the tiled floors.

"Max?" It was Fang's voice, groggy from sleep.

"Jesus, turn off the _light!" _I cried, my palm pressing into the edge of the counter until I thought it would bleed.

"What? Are you okay?" He was honestly worried, as far as I could tell. I clenched my teeth.

"_Turn it off!_"

The light went off, and my shoulders untensed, and my arm fell down to my side.

"What are you doing?" he asked incredulously, looking at the fallen apples and the opened fridge.

I blinked, his figure blurry to my eyes, " 'm hungry."

"No, I mean..." he gestured to the bed, to me, "...you were just...You..."

I made a face, rubbing my fingers against my forearm, "You know, it's your way with words that really amazes me, Fang."

He gaped.

"I mean...I'm not..." I started, wondering what i was saying, how I looked.

I felt his hands around my wrist, and I felt them get tighter and tighter.

"....the fuck...." he muttered.

"What?" I demanded, pulling my arm back and holding it to my chest.

He looked at me as though I were an alien.

"What happened?"

**A/N At least it's something.**


	22. AN

Heeelllllooooo readers!

I know, you all want to kill me for the lack of update-ness, but this is urgent!

If you will direct your attentions to my profile, where you will notice a fic titles FANFICTION STREETS.

It is both a drabble and an open invitation to YOU, the reader, with one simple question in mind.

_What if all your favorite characters lived on the same streets?_

Don't let the summary nor the Twilight category fool you--it's for all fandoms.

So--GO!

p.s. again, sorry this is not an update.


	23. AN again

Hey, guys. Sorry I haven't updated anything in...well, in a while. I've taken a break from writing for a while. I'm starting my freshman year of high school this year, and I really need to get my shit together. This is gonna be mass-posted, so I'll post my individual messages for each story:

The Unfortunate Truth: I started this when I was twelve, so needless to say I've grown a bit since then. I do have the entire things plotted out in my head, and one day I do intend to finish, but for now consider this on indefinite hold.

Gone Baby Gone: This one I actually almost finished with. I typed most of it on my friend's computer, so it might take a while to get to it...but still. I'll get there.

It's Kind of a Funny Story: I feel really guilty about this one, because I promised myself I'd finish it...Anyway. I'll probably finish this during my next fanfiction binge.

Invasion: I SHOULD BE DOING THIS! This was meant as a comic relief, something to do when I'm bored...I'm bored SO OFTEN! I SHOULD WORK ON THIS! Feel free to cyber-smack me.

Soliloquy: I seriously wrote all the stories for this but, again, on friend's computer.

Playing With Fire: Consider this one up for adoption.

Remaining: Will finish during next binge. I actually like this one.

A Comedy of Errors: No one seems to care much for this one, so consider it dropped till further notice.

The Awkward Kind: Not feeling this one, I have to say. I pictured in my head a John Hughes like angsty romance with a tragic end, but, well...I'm not John Hughes.

No Such Things: This is completly out of my comfort zone and I have no idea why I started it. Up for adoption.

Also, I have a few stories in the works...all Twilight, aparently. Two are AU and one's a three-shot for New Moon. Again, I consider fanfiction like drinking: if your not addicted, you only do it when your unhappy. I am not addicted, and I'm pretty content at the moment. As you all know, I tend to have time periods where I update at a ridiculous pace, and then long stretches of time where I do nothing. Rest assured, however, I will not be content forever and as soon as I'm engulfed in an overwhelming wave of depression, most of these stories will be updated, if not finished. And I will post the new stories I have for Twilight. And we will all live happily every after.

The End


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